Causes
The actual cause of bladder cancer is unknown, but there are some proven risk factors. They include:
- smoking - smokers are twice as likely to develop bladder cancer as non-smokers
- chemical exposure - certain chemicals, such as those used in the following
professions, can become concentrated in the urine, creating a risk factor
for cancer:
- hairdressers
- painters
- textile workers
- dye, leather, and rubber workers
- certain chemotherapy drugs, such as cyclophosphamide* (often used in breast
cancer and lymphoma treatment), can significantly increase the risk of later
developing bladder cancer
- race - Caucasians have twice as high a risk of developing this cancer as
people of African descent
- gender - men have two to three times as high a risk of developing
bladder cancer as women do
- age - most cases of bladder cancer are diagnosed in people over the age
of 40 years